The Arts-Muse Fair

By NANA SULE Maryam used to like the market. It had colors, and people, and food. Something about the smell of daddawa was all it took sometimes to send her to the market. Other times, she just wanted to find a veil, or a wrapper. Or on some other days when Habeeb was away, when no one would ask why she loved the market so, she would throw a gown over her body, and a veil over her head. And drive to the market. There, she would, in no particular order, wander from shop to shop, haggling prices and eyeing wares she would not purchase. She would then return home, exhausted. These days, she did not enjoy the market as much. As her stomach expanded with the life Habeeb had put in there, she found the best spot in the world was on her bed. Although Habeeb was not one to encourage her to go to the market on normal days, whenever he did come around, he would start at her. You should be taking walks, he would say. You shouldn’t spend all your days in bed, go to the market sef,

KNOWLEDGE I am naught But the vestibule That connects your words I am the voice The vocal cords Of your hidden notes I am the vast ocean Abundant, deep and blue But never to quench your thirst Wander and get lost In this desert that I am Seeking company in camels and cactus Blend in the city of me Amidst the great minds Roaming my streets Let it be known That I am free for all To seek and drown Let it be known That I'm the best companion In this journey called life FOR YOU For You I'll walk a thousand miles For You I'll wear my brightest smile For You I'll take all the pain For You I'll walk through the rain For You I'll go round the world For You I'll hold when you're cold For You I'll forsake my life For You I'll be the best wife For You I'll love, today, tomorrow and forever. A COLORFUL WORLD Green as the field To the earth; a shield A beauty to behold Such is the wonder

By Editor Dancing Mask-The ANA story, a documentary film by Box Office Studios, has been selected by organisers of the West African Film Festival for screening next month at the festival which holds at the University of Houston, Texas, US. Dancing Mask is a documentary film about the history and activities of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) founded in 1981 by Professors Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and other first generation Nigerian writers to serve as the umbrella body of writers in Nigeria.   Daniel John Tukura, Director of Dancing Mask  The documentary, which chronicles the chequered times that marked ANA’s growth from a small group to being the largest writers union in Africa, was funded by the Association with the support of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Ghana. Tukura John Daniel, Nigerian filmmaker and director of Dancing Mask says the selection of the film by the West African Film Festival is good news to ANA and his production

The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literature prize awarded to an African writer of a short story published in English. The prize was launched since 2000 to motivate as well as highlighting the richness and multiplicity of African writing by bringing it to a larger international audience. The focus on the short story reflects the contemporary development of the African story-telling tradition. By definition, “an African writer” is expected to be someone who was born in Africa, or who is a national of an African country, or who has a parent who is African by birth or nationality. Therefore, the Prize is awarded to a short story written by an African writer published in English, whether living in Africa or elsewhere. Understanding the Caine the Prize: The Caine Prize for African Writing as a registered charity, aims is to bring African writing to a larger international audience through their annual literary award. In addition to administering the Prize,

As Tanzania’s 2018 annual music festival “Sauti za Busara” , continues to count days to commence, organizers have released the list of artists billed to perform at the event. The event which is the 15 th edition will take place at the Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar, between 8 and 11 February, 2018. Music in Africa  reports that the list contains various artists across the continent of Africa and diaspora. The main artists are Kasai Allstars from Democratic Republic of Congo, Zakes Bantwini from South Africa and Ribab Fusion of Morocco as well as Mlimani Park Orchestra of Tanzania. The festival will kick off with a special flash mob to be led by Haba na Haba contemporary dance troupe from Dares Salaam. The event will thereafter be followed be followed by the highly anticipated Carnival Parade, stopping the traffic along its 2km route to Stone Town. However, on three stages of day four, the festival will feature about 46 performances, comprising 20 groups from Tanza

By Nana Sule From head to toe, the henna has infinite uses for the human body and mind. These range from medicinal utility, beautification, mummification, spirituality to decorative body art, such that henna and the art of its application are now widespread across cultures and religions. In present times, it is no surprise to see periods specially carved into wedding programs for the artistic designs of hands and feet. This is an art widespread amongst the women of Northern Nigeria. These designs, known amongst Nigerian women as Lalle , or Henna are beautiful and temporal tattoos drawn on hands and feet of females at weddings, naming ceremonies, festivals and even on normal days as means of beautification. However, long before the modern day commercialization of the body art, where artists charge quite lump sums at weddings and other festivities, were days that saw the henna design used for more than just body designs. The origin of henna is traced to the Bro

About the book The three nations of Ibotoro, the Fua and the Orin inhabite the same land but co-existence remains a farce as deep hared, constant wars and an unrepentant desire to dominate each other runs very deep. Yondale, a peasant of the Orin nation has stubbornly fallen in love with Princess Mshilla of Orin whose mother is the tyrannical and iron-fisted queen Omineza. This is taboo, a total outrage. He is declared wanted for treason and flees from Orin. In a twist of fate, Yondale’s tabooing and escape coincides with the pestilence ravaging the Ibotoro nation and the deadly famine in Fua, leaving a toll of deaths, scars of suffering and an uncertain future. Yondale knows that unless he attains an uncommon significance, he can never be with the princess. He also knows that for all three nations to survive, they have to be unified as ONE. Though a peasant, Yondale is consumed by the love the princess and is obsessed with unifying all three nations into ONE as